| Quairading Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Heal Street, Quairading, 2018 | |
  Quairading | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 32°01′00″S117°24′00″E / 32.01667°S 117.40000°E |
| Population | 582 (UCL 2021) [1] |
| Established | 1907 |
| Postcode(s) | 6383 |
| Elevation | 249 m (817 ft) [2] |
| Area | 200.5 km2 (77.4 sq mi) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Quairading |
| State electorate(s) | Central Wheatbelt |
| Federal division(s) | Durack |
Quairading is a Western Australian town located in the Wheatbelt region. It is the seat of government for the Shire of Quairading.
The town was named for Quairading Spring, derived from a local Aboriginal word recorded in 1872 by surveyor Alexander Forrest. [3] The first European settler in the area is believed to be Stephen Parker, who settled in nearby York. [2] From 1859 to 1863, his son Edward Parker cleared land east of York towards Dangin, before Edward's son Jonah took over Dangin and the surrounding area. Jonah Parker subdivided his property and made Dangin a private townsite, surrounded by his land. A Methodist, Jonah Parker banned alcohol in the town and these factors led to residents leaving Dangin. [2] The Government made available new land in nearby Quairading, and gave settlers a 160-acre (0.250 sq mi; 0.647 km2) block for free if they cleared the land and lived there for seven years. [4] Many settlers took up the offer and moved into the area between 1903 and 1908. [4]
The Greenhills Road Board, established in 1892, decided to build a railway from Greenhills (near York) to Quairading and gazette the townsite at the Quairading terminus. [4] The townsite was gazetted on 7 August 1907 and the railway completed in 1908. [4] By 1909, the town had a hotel, general store, blacksmith, baker, carpenter and two banks, and by 1950, most of the land was cleared and being used for farming. [4]
In 1932 the Wheat Pool of Western Australia announced that the town would have two grain elevators, each fitted with an engine, installed at the railway siding. [5]
The area was rocked by an earthquake in April 2009; the epicentre was located approximately 20 km northwest of the town. The earthquake that measured 3.2 on the Richter Scale happened at 4.50am local time caused no damage. [6]
The railway through Quairading began as the York to Greenhills line [7] (about a sixth the length of the whole line), and this was later extended to Quairading and onward to Bruce Rock. Construction began in 1897. [8] Due to various operational changes the line between Quairading and Bruce Rock was closed in the 1970s,[ citation needed ] and the line from York was closed in October 2013, the operator Brookfield Rail citing safety as the primary reason. [8] The decision to close this half of the line was politically contentious, with Brookfield Rail taking pains to point out that it was not politics that forced the closure, and community groups (such as the Wheatbelt Rail Retention Alliance) campaigning against it. [8]
In the 2006 census, Quairading had 596 residents, with 18.1% Indigenous residents, compared with 2.3% Indigenous persons Australia-wide. [9] The median age of residents was 49 years, compared to the national median age of 37. [9] The religious affiliation of residents was Anglican 31.4%, Catholic 19.3%, no religion 16.1%, Uniting Church 12.9% and Pentecostal 1.8%. [9] The percentage of people identifying themselves as Anglican (31.4%) was significantly higher than the Australia-wide average of 18.7%. [9] 90.4% of residents were Australian citizens, with English the language spoken at home by 95.6% persons, compared to the national average of 78.5%. [9] The most common occupations were labourers 18.4%, managers 17.0%, technicians and trades workers 15.7%, machinery operators and drivers 10.8%, and sales workers 10.3%. [9] The major industries were farming of sheep, beef cattle and grain 14.8%, local government administration 10.3%, school education 8.5%, wholesaling of specialised industrial machinery and equipment 4.9%, and retailing of fuel 4.9%. [9] The median household weekly income was $637, compared to $1,027 nationally. [9]
The Pink Lake of Quairading which lies 11 km east of Quairading on the Bruce Rock Road at Badjaling, with the road traversing it. [10] It is regarded as a phenomenon, as certain times in the year one side has a distinctive pink colour whilst the other side remains its natural blue. [11]
A local tourist attraction is the Quairading Nature Reserve, 527 hectares (1,302 acres) of native bushland west of the town along the railway line to York. The reserve contains York gum, salmon gum, wandoo and casuarina trees, and wildlife including the eastern wallaroo, western grey kangaroo, echidnas, reptiles and birds. Nookaminnie Rock, which is a large granite rock, provides a view over the town and surrounding areas. [12]
The townsite can also be viewed from Mount Stirling, 35 kilometres (22 mi) northeast of Quairading. [2] The Home of Natural Wood Sculpture is another visitor attraction, originally located 22 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of the town. [2] Founded by local artist Ian Wills, it displays his wood sculptures, which have been exhibited in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. [13] The wood sculptures are now on display in the Old Railway Station Info Centre and is open every weekday morning by volunteers. Toapin Weir, 12 kilometres (7 mi) northwest of the town, was constructed in 1912 to collect rainwater runoff and irrigate the nearby farms; it has barbeque, picnic and camping facilities. [2] Cubbine is a homestead 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of Quairading originally owned by Alexander Forrest. [2]
Quairading has an airstrip, located 300 metres (984 ft) east of the town on the York to Merredin Road. [14] The town has a library, located at Quairading Bookpost, [15] a very popular Community Resource Centre and a number of small parks, including a memorial rose garden, and a public swimming pool. [16] The Greater Sports Ground is home to football, hockey, cricket and netball. [17]
The Badjaling Mission reserve, located 10km east of Quairding, established in 1933 for the United Aborigines Mission, encompassed the area initially comprising all the land within DEC Reserve 23758. Serving as the camping ground and residence for approximately 30 Nyungar families from 1887 until 1954, the reserve held significant cultural importance, having been utilized by local Nyungar communities for traditional hunting, food gathering, and camping prior to colonization, owing to its abundant freshwater sources. Despite the official relocation of residents to Quairading Reserve in 1954 following the mission's closure, Nyungar people intermittently continued to camp in the area. In 1980, there was a formal return of Nyungar people to the Reserve, with current housing infrastructure established in 1998. [18]
Toodyay, known as Newcastle between 1860 and 1910, is a town on the Avon River in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 85 kilometres (53 mi) north-east of Perth. The first European settlement occurred in the area in 1836. After flooding in the 1850s, the townsite was moved to its current location in the 1860s. It is connected by railway and road to Perth. During the 1860s, it was home to bushranger Moondyne Joe.
The Wheatbelt is one of nine regions of Western Australia defined as administrative areas for the state's regional development, and a vernacular term for the area converted to agriculture during colonisation. It partially surrounds the Perth metropolitan area, extending north from Perth to the Mid West region, and east to the Goldfields–Esperance region. It is bordered to the south by the South West and Great Southern regions, and to the west by the Indian Ocean, the Perth metropolitan area, and the Peel region. Altogether, it has an area of 154,862 square kilometres (59,793 sq mi).
Wyalkatchem is a town in the central Wheatbelt region, 192 kilometres (119 mi) east-north-east of Perth, 35 kilometres (22 mi) east of Dowerin and 44 kilometres (27 mi) south of Koorda. At the 2021 census, Wyalkatchem had a population of 358.
The town of Hyden is located 292 kilometres (181 mi) east-southeast of Perth, Western Australia in the Shire of Kondinin. Hyden is home to Wave Rock, Mulka's Cave and Hippos Yawn, all popular local tourist attractions.
Darkan is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, between Collie and the Albany Highway on the Coalfields Highway. It is also the seat of the Shire of West Arthur. At the 2016 census, Darkan had a population of 403.
Brookton is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 138 kilometres (86 mi) from the state capital, Perth via the Brookton Highway where it crosses the Great Southern Highway. The town is on the Great Southern railway line. It is within, and is the seat of government for, the Shire of Brookton. At the 2016 census, Brookton had a population of 975.
Bruce Rock is a town in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 243 kilometres (151 mi) east of Perth and 48 kilometres (30 mi) southwest of Merredin. It is the main town in the Shire of Bruce Rock.
Bencubbin is a town in Western Australia in the north eastern Wheatbelt, 275 km north-east of Perth. The town lies within the Shire of Mount Marshall and is home to approximately 294 people as of 2011. Surveyor General John Septimus Roe first surveyed the region in 1836 and he was followed by sandalwood cutters and stockmen, but it was not until 1908 that the first permanent settlers arrived.
Trayning is a town in the north-eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 236 kilometres (147 mi) east of the state capital, Perth, on the Nungarin–Wyalkatchem Road. At the 2006 census, Trayning had a population of 122.
The Shire of Quairading is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about 170 kilometres (106 mi) east of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of 2,018 square kilometres (779 sq mi), and its seat of government is the town of Quairading.
Badjaling is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia located close to the Salt River, and is approximately 155 kilometres (96 mi) east of Perth.
Kwolyin is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Pantapin is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Shackleton is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Watheroo is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. There are 137 residents, according to the 2021 census.
Dangin is a small town in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about 7.7 kilometres west-south-west of Quairading, in the Shire of Quairading. At the 2006 census, Dangin had a population of 283.
Badjaling Nature Reserve is a nature reserve managed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, located at Badjaling in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Located east of Quairading, it is a reserve of native bushland, surrounded by land long since cleared for agriculture.
Balkuling is an abandoned town 192 km east of Perth, Western Australia along the Quairading-York Road situated in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Yoting is a small town located between Quairading and Bruce Rock in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Erikin is a small town located in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. It is located close to the Salt River and between the towns of Quairading and Bruce Rock.
